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Arkansas County
Phillips County, Arkansas
Helena's King Biscuit Blues Festival and the Mississippi Delta - from the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena (the Delta Blues Museum and the annual King Biscuit Blues Festival - named for the 1941 KFFA radio program King Biscuit Time that broadcast Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood Jr. to Delta farm workers - is one of America's largest outdoor blues festivals, drawing 100,000+ visitors each October to the Mississippi River bluffs) to Helena's extraordinary Civil War significance (the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863 - fought on the same day as Gettysburg and Vicksburg - secured Union control of the Mississippi River and is commemorated at the Helena Confederate Cemetery).
County SeatHelena-West Helena
Population16,568
Founded1820
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Office: Phillips County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 620 Cherry St, Helena-West Helena, AR 72342
Phone: (870) 338-5535
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; Helena-West Helena community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: East Arkansas Delta county on the Mississippi River; Helena-West Helena is the county seat (merged cities); Mississippi River flooding (major levee system); tornado corridor; one of the most historically significant Delta cities for Blues music heritage; significant economic distress; majority African American county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Phillips County Road Department – (870) 338-5535
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response; rural Delta county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-49 and US-70 run through Helena; Helena Bridge (US-49) crosses the Mississippi River; very rural outside Helena; Memphis (Tennessee) is 75 miles north via US-61/49; Helena’s river port history shaped the city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Phillips County – (870) 338-5535
Services: Basic building permits; Helena-West Helena has separate permits
Notes: Very limited development; significant population decline in Helena-West Helena; limited construction activity; Delta Blues tourism generating some facility investment
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Phillips County Veterans Service Office – (870) 338-5535
VA Medical: Memphis VAMC – most accessible at 75 miles north; Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Memphis VA is the primary facility for Phillips County veterans; active veteran community
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Phillips County Library – Helena: (870) 338-4070; West Helena Branch
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Blues heritage collections
Notes: Library holds significant Delta Blues heritage materials; Helena’s role in Blues history is profound – the King Biscuit Time radio program (KFFA – still broadcasting) is the longest-running daily radio program in the US and launched Blues music to a national audience in 1941; library collections reflect this extraordinary cultural heritage
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: King Biscuit Blues Festival (Helena – one of America’s premier Blues music festivals; held annually in October on the Mississippi River; tens of thousands of visitors; world-class Blues musicians perform); Levee Road (Mississippi River levee road – scenic; river watching); Delta Cultural Center (Helena – excellent regional museum focused on Arkansas Delta history, Blues music, Civil War); Cherry Street historic district; Taborian Hall (Blues music heritage); Quapaw Quarter Association heritage; Confederate Cemetery
Notes: Helena is one of the most historically and culturally significant small cities in America for Blues music; the King Biscuit Blues Festival transforms this struggling Delta city each October into a world-class music celebration; the Delta Cultural Center is an outstanding museum covering Arkansas’s Delta heritage, the Civil Rights movement, and Blues music; Sonny Boy Williamson II, Robert Nighthawk, and many other Blues legends were associated with Helena; the KFFA King Biscuit Time radio program (since 1941) is a living piece of American music history still broadcasting daily
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Phillips County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; Mississippi River levee mapping (Army Corps – critical); flood mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Phillips County Animal Control – (870) 338-5535; Helena-West Helena area humane efforts
Services: Basic animal control; limited resources
Notes: Blues Festival tourism creates some seasonal animal considerations; limited local resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Phillips County – (870) 338-5535; Helena-West Helena city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps (Mississippi River levees – critical); Big Creek (agriculture drainage); agricultural chemical runoff from Delta fields
Notes: Mississippi River levee integrity is critical for Phillips County; Army Corps maintains the massive levee system; agricultural drainage districts manage the flat Delta landscape; agricultural chemical use monitored by ADEQ; Helena’s river port history has created some industrial legacy sites; the Delta’s wetlands are critically important for waterfowl and biodiversity; economic distress in Helena has created some environmental justice concerns regarding waste management infrastructure
About Phillips County
Phillips County is east Arkansas’s Delta Blues capital county – Helena’s King Biscuit Time radio program launched the careers of Delta Blues legends, and the King Biscuit Blues Festival draws 100,000+ visitors annually to the Mississippi River bluffs.
Helena (population ~10,000) was a major Delta Blues broadcasting center – KFFA radio’s King Biscuit Time program, launched 1941, broadcast Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood Jr. to sharecroppers across the Delta and is the longest-running daily radio program in American history.
The Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863 was one of the Civil War’s most significant trans-Mississippi engagements, fought simultaneously with Gettysburg and Vicksburg.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Phillips County Assessor at 620 Cherry Street, Suite 1, Helena-West Helena, AR 72342, phone 870-338-5580. AR residential assessed at 20% of market value.
Public Records
Phillips County Health Unit — Helena-West Helena: (870) 338-3041 (confirm address)
Helena Regional Medical Center: Major hospital in Helena-West Helena (confirm current status)
Arkansas Dept of Corrections — Helena-West Helena Office: P.O. Box 128, Helena, AR 72342
Recommended
Search Phillips County public records for Helena-West Helena, Marvell, and Phillips County residents.
Courts & Legal
Phillips County Circuit Clerk at 620 Cherry Street, Helena-West Helena, AR 72342, phone 870-338-5502, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (EAAAA) — serves Phillips County
Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior centers
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
620 Cherry St., Helena-West Helena, AR 72342
(870) 338-5500
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
620 Cherry St., Helena-West Helena, AR 72342
(870) 338-5500
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Phillips County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Phillips County Library, 702 Porter Street, Helena, AR 72342 – holds local historical and genealogical collections.
Tri-County Genealogical Society (Monroe-Phillips-Lee Counties), P.O. Box 580, Marvell, AR 72366, (870) 829-2971
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Phillips County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 620 Cherry Street, Helena, AR 72342 (870) 338-5515 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arkansas has one of the more generous small-estate thresholds in the country, so check this first.
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where total property value (after debts, excluding the homestead and statutory spousal/minor-child allowances) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after the death. Filed using Form 23 (Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee) under Ark. Code § 28-41-101 – no personal representative is appointed, and no full administration is needed.
Independent Administration – available when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs agree to it. The personal representative acts with minimal court oversight at each step.
Supervised Administration – the traditional, more heavily court-involved track; used for contested estates or when independent administration isn’t available or agreed to.
Administration with Will Annexed – used when a valid will doesn’t name an executor, or the named executor can’t or won’t serve.
If using the small estate affidavit
Wait at least 45 days after the death.
Confirm the estate’s total value (after debts, excluding homestead and statutory allowances) is $100,000 or less and there are no unresolved claims against the estate.
Complete Form 23, the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, listing the property and heirs.
File it with the Probate Clerk, or present it with a certified death certificate directly to banks or other institutions holding the property.
If filing for independent or supervised administration
Gather the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, a list of assets/debts, and names of heirs.
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (Form 3, if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Administrator/Administratrix (Form 2, if there isn’t) with the Probate Division. Filing fee is $165.
If there’s a will, the court formally admits it to probate; the court then issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 2 months of appointment.
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper, plus direct notice to known creditors; creditors then have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
If independent administration applies, the personal representative can act on most matters without seeking court approval at each step.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative files a final settlement with the court; once approved, the estate closes.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no separate court filing fee (a nominal recording fee may apply depending on what’s being transferred).
Formal probate filing fee: $165 (may vary somewhat by county).
Personal representative and attorney compensation: no fixed statutory rate – courts typically look to roughly 2–5% of the estate’s value as a reasonable baseline, subject to court approval as “just and reasonable.”
No state estate tax or inheritance tax in Arkansas.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
Helena-West Helena, AR 72342
(870) 338-5530
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 338-8458
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Phillips County Health Unit – (870) 338-6011
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI/HIV testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Helena Regional Medical Center – (870) 338-5800
Notes: Helena Regional serves a large rural southeast Arkansas and northeast Mississippi area; severe health disparities – Phillips County has some of the worst health metrics in the US; high rates of STIs, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease; WIC and maternal health critically important; poverty and healthcare access challenges profound
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Helena-West Helena
Population: 16,568
Area: 696 sq mi
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
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